Destination Dawn all-night music festival coming to UAE

Time Out has news of Destination Dawn all-night music festival coming to UAE, taking place on Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah on May 27-28

By
Matt Fortune
08 May 2016

Ras Al Khaimah will host a first of its kind 12-hour dance music festival later this month.

Destination Dawn will see several international and local DJs take a purpose-built stage and arena on the beaches of Marjan Island, an hour north of Dubai.

Already confirmed on the bill are Thomas Gold, the Berlin-based turntabalist and producer, as well as South African duo Goldfish. Both have been a big success on previous shows in the emirates. Representing the UAE will be YVEL, Scott Forshaw and Hollaphonic, with more names expected to follow.

The festival will break with the usual convention and run from 5pm all the way through to 5am, blaring a range of EDM styles throughout. It is the first of what organisers and the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority hope to be many similar events in the future.

Those who have followed the development of Marjan Island will not be surprised by the announcement. In March 2015, a sales marketing director for the project at the time, told the Dubai Property Show in London’s Kensington Olympia they were hoping to make some of the man-made archipelago "the new Ibiza - a mini Ibiza dedicated solely to partying". They even had visuals of four different land masses.

“People will be able to come here, stay in the hotel, party at clubs on the beach, anything in the world you can do. And we are trying to attract festivals to come here - like Burning Man,” the director added at the time.

Located 27km south-west of Ras Al Khaimah city centre, the four islands of Marjan stretch nearly three miles out into the sea and cover an area of 2.7 million square metres. They are currently home to a Double Tree by Hilton, and Rixos Bab Al Bahr.